“Captain Marvel” delivers largest debut of the year at US box office

Lagos, March 11, 2019 “Captain Marvel” debuted at No 1 at the United States Box Office with $153 million, making it the highest debut for a movie this year.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) said that “How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World 3’’ which topped the box office for two weeks in a row, came in at second place with $14.6 million.

IMDB said. “A Madea Family Funeral’ raked in $12 million while “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’’ and “Alita: Battle Angel’’ , grossed $3.8 million and $3.2 million respectively.

It listed other movies that made up the top 10 to include “Green Book”, Isn’t it romantic” starring Rebel Wilson and Dwayne Johnson’s “Fighting with my Family’’, which occupied the sixth, seventh and eighth positions

“Greta” and “Apollo 11” occupied the ninth and tenth position respectively in the box office.

U.S. box office is the revenue generated by a film while in theatres.

The records are for the United States and Canada together, a market known as the North American box office and domestic box office and where gross is defined in US dollars.

However, Coyne said that the COVID-19pandemic forced them to alter their plan. “For instance, some of the objects were from international lenders, so we have had to replace them with facsimile.”

“That’s a bit disappointing, but the great thing is we are actually able to make them much larger and brighter so people can actually get a closer look at some of the objects,” she added.

Expanding on the often one-sided narrative associated with the Endeavour story, this new exhibition honors both Cook’s great voyage of scientific and geographic exploration and the rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture that has thrived in Australia for at least 65,000 years.

On the wall there are artworks by indigenous artists from a small community south of the Cooktown. According to Coyne, after ship Endeavor crashed into the Great Barrier Reef, local residents then went to the beach, picked up drift-woods and created artworks on top of them.

“So some of these pieces might have been bits of the ship that had splintered off and washed up on the bay,” she said.

A purple piece depicted the coral, while another showed the scene of the ship. “And then there are some botanical specimens as well,” said Coyne.

On the other side of the wall there showed places named after the event, from Cook Place to Endeavor Street. “The voyage has been remembered and recorded in place names and in monuments,” said the curator.

There are interactive games designed to attract visitors. While people are still concerned about the COVID-19, measures were taken to ensure their safety.

A labyrinth game simulated Cook’s sailing through the Great Barrier Reef, which was like a maze. Visitors could use a wheel to get a ball through the maze to the other side.

“We have installed the hand sanitizer, so whenever you use an interactive, you can clean your hands before and afterwards, and then have fun with the activities we’ve created,” she said.

“Actually we have a task force go around each one of the interactive activities and make sure we had certain measures in place,” Coyne said, noting that at the drawing station, all the pencils are for single use only and visitors could take them home.

She told Xinhua that the museum also used a booking system to control the number of people allowed into the exhibition space.

Garrett Turtill found out about the exhibition online while staying at home during the restrictions. When he learned that the museum was to open to public again, he registered for the exhibition.

“It was really easy, very quick,” said the 70-year-old man. “You just get a ticket on your phone, and you bring it in and they wave you through.”

Turtill said he was excited both to be out of doors and to be at the exhibition. “I am very interested in early maritime exploration around Australia,” he said.

“And I am satisfied with the museum’s measures as well as local government’s handling of coronavirus. That’s why I felt confident to come out to the exhibition.”

According to the original plan, the exhibition will run until this October. But the museum said it might extend it until early next year.

Leipzig, who host Hertha Berlin on Wednesday, are third in the league on 54 points, seven behind leaders, Bayern Munich, and three off second-placed Borussia Dortmund, with seven games left in the campaign.

The Bundesliga had to break for more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed 10 days ago.

“Our forward Yussuf Poulsen sustained a ligament injury in his right ankle during the game against Mainz 05.

“He will be sidelined until further notice. That was the result of a scan on Monday,” the club said.

Elgar eyes South Africa test captaincy

Dean Elgar would be willing to become South Africa’s next test captain as speculation about who will replace Faf du Plessis gathers momentum.

Elgar, who turns 33 next month, put his hand up in an interview with Cricket South Africa (CSA), released on Monday, and joins Aiden Markram on the list of players who have expressed interest in the job.

Quinton de Kock was expected to take over from Du Plessis, having succeeded him as captain of South Africa’s limited-overs teams, but CSA said it did not want to overburden the wicketkeeper-batsman and ruled him out of the test captaincy.

“This decision was out of left field for us,” said forward Morgan, appearing on a remote live feed on the Good Morning America programme on Monday. “We are fighters and we will continue to fight together for this.”

The team’s long-running feud with U.S. Soccer has been a very public and bitter battle and the players had been seeking 66 million dollars in damages under the Equal Pay Act.

“The WNT (Women’s National Team) has been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the MNT (Men’s National Team) over the class period,” the court said in its summary judgment.

Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Rapinoe said she questioned the logic of the summary judgment.

“If I earn one dollar every time I play and a man earns three dollars, just because I win ten games and he only wins three games — and so I make 10 dollars and he made nine dollars —I’m not sure how that’s me making more money,” she said.

The court allowed complaints of unfair medical, travel and training to proceed to trial, which is scheduled to begin June 16.

Some of the players’ high-profile backers, including women’s sports pioneer Billie Jean King and presumptive U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, leapt to their defence after news of their legal setback broke.

“Don’t give up this fight. This is not over yet,” Biden wrote in a tweet to the team on Saturday, then telling U.S. Soccer: “Equal pay, now. Or else when I’m president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team Players Association reiterated its support for the female players in a statement on Monday.

“The USMNT players continue to stand with the WNT players in their efforts to secure equal pay,” the group said.

“For a year and a half the USMNT players have made proposals to the Federation that will achieve equal pay for the USMNT and USWNT players.”OLAL

Britain lauds Covid-19 fundraiser ‘Captain Tom’ on 100th birthday

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on Thursday led the birthday tributes to a 100-year-old former soldier who raised millions of pounds to help Britain’s healthservice through the novel coronaviruspandemic. “Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the entire nation. “I am sending this video message to ex-army captain Tom Moore, affectionately known as Captain Tom. “You’ve inspired the most incredible generosity, supporting the cause closest to all our hearts; we appreciate more than 30 million pounds (or 37 million dollars) you raised to assist in the fight against COVID19,“Johnson said. Hundreds of thousands of people donated to Moore’s JustGiving fund for National Health Service (NHS) charities after he walked 100 25-metre lengths of his garden over several days, supported by his walking frame. “It just shows what a marvellous country we are, made up of so many magnificent people keeping up their spirits, however difficult it may be,” Moore said. Moore was made an honorary colonel in the British army and several World War II planes staged a flypast of his home on Thursday to mark his birthday. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said Moore was an example and an inspiration to everybody in the country. “May God bless you and your family,”Welby said. The Royal Mail said it handled more than 125,000 birthday cards, letters and gifts for Moore. Earlier, Moore also reached the top of Britain’s singles charts, joining singer Michael Ball on a version of the 1960s hit “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Ibadan Golf Club open to corporate membership — Captain

Newly-elected Captain of Ibadan Golf Club (IGC), Oladiran Ibironke, says plans are ongoing to make the club attractive to corporate bodies and professionals in the state.

Ibironke, also known as ‘Dudu Heritage,’ told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Ibadan that all hands were on deck to bring in corporate bodies and high net worth individuals to sponsor the club’s golf competitions.

They are all expected to run the affairs of the club for the next one year.

“Part of what we are trying to do is massive infrastructural development here in the club. Presently, we have low new membership and we looking for quality members.

“We are extending invitation for corporate membership to some organisations like Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Bar Association, Senior Cadre of Local Government and many more.

“When you draw corporate members, definitely you are attracting sponsors because the bedrock of any Golf Club is competition, and if you want to have a quality competition, you need corporate sponsors, and we are extending that to them.

“Aside of that, we want to go on enlightenment programme whereby people will know the essence of golf, because a lot of people see the game as an elite game.

“To me golf is a game of keeping fit and is the only sports you do and exercise all part of your body physically and mentally,” he said.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai and other principal officers decorated the new officers at Army Headquarters in the presence of their families and friends.

Buratai, while congratulating the officers, said their promotion and appointments were well deserved, adding that the officers had served the army with utmost dedication and sterling performance.

He urged them to justify their promotion by deploying their expertise derived from their years of experience to contribute to the development of a more professional army.

“Even though you have short time left in the service, you must offer your best as officers,” the COAS said.

He also urged the new RSM to ensure that high standard of discipline and regimentation was maintained by the soldiers.

“Your appointment is well deserved, because you were found worthy and the time has come for you to redouble your efforts, to justify the confidence reposed in you.

“As you all know, promotion is a privilege and is a reward for hard work, dedication and loyalty to constituted authorities.

“Indeed, this elevation is a reward of recognition for your hard work, sacrifices you might have made individually or collectively in the armed forces of Nigeria,” he said.

Buratai cautioned the newly promoted officers against gathering people for celebration to be conscious of the Coronavirus pandemic in the course of their celebration.

Similarly, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Lt.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, enjoined them to remain themselves and endeavour to learn the ropes as officers.

Adeosun congratulated the new officers for being able to reach the peak of their career as army officers, explaining that it was a rare privilege to start as private and end as an officer.

He advised them to be ready for more responsibilities as well as more benefits, urging them to make sure that their families got a feel of their new status.

Responding on behalf the newly promoted officers Capt. Agbo thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff, whom he said had transformed the Nigerian Army to an enviable force among the services.

He commended Buratai for the various transformation projects in various Barracks across the country, especially the provision of befitting accommodation for officers and soldiers.

Agbo pledged the readiness of the officers to discharge their duties efficiently to the best of their abilities.

NCF picks a new captain- President

NNN: Joshua Ayannaike has been announced the new captain of Nigeria’s national cricket team. Adam Ukwenya, President, Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) made this known in a statement issued to newsmen in Lagos, on Tuesday.

“I am grateful for the privilege to lead this team of great players and really excited about our prospects in the upcoming ACA qualifiers,” the captain was quoted as saying.

The team is currently intensifying preparations for the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) T20 Championship in Nairobi, Kenya from March 20 to 28.

Liverpool captain Henderson out for three weeks with hamstring injury

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in their 1-0 midweek Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday.

The injury rules the influential midfielder out of Monday’s Premier League home game against relegation-threatened West Ham United, a match in which the runaway league leaders will be desperate “to put things right”, the German added.

“It’s not that bad, but he will be out I think for three weeks or so, which is not cool but how we see it is we were still lucky and that’s it,” Klopp told a news conference.

Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first leg defeat on Tuesday was just their third loss of the season in all competitions and their first since their youth side was beaten by Aston Villa in the League Cup in December.

“It’s a little bit strange. Yes, we lost the game and there’s absolutely no positive in it.

“But it’s important… that it felt like a defeat. It felt after the game like a defeat, it felt the next morning like a defeat. But the thing is… to get the other feeling back… the feeling of how a win feels.

“We have won a few games and now we’ve lost it and the difference is massive. Much more than three points. It’s really from sunshine to hardest rain and that’s how it should be.

“If you really want to be successful… like we could have been in that game, then it has to feel really bad and that’s how it felt.

“So yes, we want to put things right even when it’s a different competition,”Klopp said of the loss in Spain.

West Ham, who were beaten 2-0 by second-placed Manchester City in their last league outing, would come to Anfield and “defend with all they have”, he added.

“With all the brilliance that Man City have… (West Ham) weren’t outplayed like you would expect when City is on the pitch.

“They… didn’t have a lot of possession obviously so I wouldn’t expect that they go for much more possession against us but… I think they took some positives out of that game and they will try it again and we have to be ready.